title: Maternal milk DHA content predicts cognitive performance in a sample of 28 nations.
abstract: Convergent evidence from neuronal biology and hominin brain hypertrophy suggests that omega-3 fatty acids are a limiting resource for neural and cognitive development in Homo sapiens, and therefore that children from populations with higher omega-3 availability should display superior cognitive performance. Using multiple regression, we tested this prediction in a sample of 28 countries, with Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) math scores in 2009 as an index of cognitive performance, and country-specific breast milk levels of omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as an index of omega-3 availability. Breast milk DHA makes a highly significant contribution to math scores (β = 0.462, P = 0.006), greater in magnitude than the control variables of per capita Gross Domestic Product (PCGDP) and educational expenditures per pupil. Together, dietary fish (positively) and total fat (negatively) explain 61% of the variance in maternal milk DHA in a larger sample of 39 countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: William Day
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Lassek
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.
authors.forename: Steven J C
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Gaulin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008892:Milk; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry; D000069466:Red Meat; D017747:Seafood; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D010938:Plant Oils; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids
keywords: brain function; child nutrition; childhood diet; docosahexaenoic acid; education; human milk